How Much Water Should You Pour for Pour-Over Coffee? What's the Ideal Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Great Taste?

The Importance of Water Amount in Pour-Over Coffee

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Pour-over coffee feels incredibly ceremonial, and this holds true in reality. Every detail matters—the precise coffee weight, accurate water temperature, and even the amount of water poured cannot be treated carelessly!

Why Such Emphasis on Water Amount?

Pour-over coffee extracts coffee liquid through drip filtration. We continuously pour water into the coffee grounds, and the water flows through the coffee grounds, carrying soluble substances into the server below. This means the more water we pour, the more coffee substances will be present in the coffee liquid.

However, unlike tea leaves that can be repeatedly steeped, more coffee substances aren't necessarily better. Currently, the most authoritative coffee organization, SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), states that approximately 30% of substances in coffee are water-soluble, while substances in the range of 18-22% are considered most palatable to the general public. Exceeding this range will likely make the coffee taste unpleasant.

Beyond recognizing that more coffee substances aren't always better, we must also understand the extraction efficiency of pour-over coffee. Observant individuals might notice that the initially dripping coffee liquid appears darker in color, gradually becoming lighter as brewing continues. This indicates that the extraction efficiency of hot water gradually decreases over time. Therefore, the emphasis on water amount is also about controlling coffee concentration—less water results in higher concentration, while more water yields lower concentration.

How Much Water is Needed for Brewing Coffee?

To balance the concentration of coffee liquid with the reasonable combination of extracted flavor compounds, the amount of water becomes particularly important. So how much water should be added to make coffee taste good?

Taking pour-over coffee as an example, the amount of water poured depends on the quantity of coffee grounds and the coffee-to-water ratio. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses 15g of coffee grounds with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, meaning 225ml of water. Through multiple brewing experiments with light roast coffee, FrontStreet Coffee found that a 1:15 ratio yields a concentration of approximately 1.35-1.42%, corresponding to an extraction rate of 17.79%-18.73%. This falls within a very suitable range for drinking.

So how much water is needed for brewing 20g or 25g of coffee grounds? We still follow the fixed coffee-to-water ratio method. For example, brewing 20g of coffee grounds requires 300ml of water, while brewing 25g of coffee grounds requires 375ml of water.

Does Adding Too Much or Too Little Water Significantly Affect Coffee?

The 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio recommended by FrontStreet Coffee is not absolute, nor does it mean that coffee brewed with ratios other than 1:15 won't taste good. For instance, strong coffee enthusiasts prefer using ratios between 1:10 to 1:13, which yields coffee with a more robust and rich mouthfeel. Some baristas also习惯使用 1:16 or 1:17 ratios to accentuate the flavor profile of coffee while catering to the general preference for lighter tastes.

Of course, the coffee-to-water ratio needs to work in harmony with other factors in coffee brewing to produce good flavors. According to FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters, ratios between 1:15 to 1:16 can both showcase excellent coffee flavors, and this range is considered reasonable parameters. If less water than the 1:15 ratio is used, it may result in coffee that is rich but unbalanced; using more water than the 1:16 ratio will make coffee thin and watery.

FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling Brewing Guide

Below, using FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling as an example, we'll demonstrate in detail from parameters to techniques how to extract the rich flavors of Mandheling at home.

What Are Mandheling Flavors?

To this day, Indonesia continues to occupy an indispensable position in the entire coffee market. Most of Indonesia's coffee cultivation consists of hybrid varieties or Robusta beans, which are commonly referred to domestically as "Robusta beans" and are typically used for espresso blends or instant coffee. Mandheling, however, represents the minority Arabica variety locally, becoming a widely recognized specialty representative in the coffee circle due to its unique and outstanding flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee often mentions in articles that unlike many specialty coffees named after their coffee varieties or growing regions, the name Mandheling originates from a World War II story. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, a Japanese soldier drank an incredibly aromatic cup of coffee at a café. When he asked the café owner what kind of coffee it was, the owner mistakenly thought he was asking "Where are you from?" and replied: "Mandailing." After the war, the Japanese soldier recalled the coffee he drank in Indonesia was called "Mandheling," and later people began referring to Arabica beans from Sumatra as Mandheling coffee.

Before introducing a new coffee bean, FrontStreet Coffee always conducts cupping sessions to evaluate the coffee. Cupping is an assessment of coffee bean quality and flavor, and standardized criteria allow for a more objective identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the flavors presented by the beans, as well as their characteristics. After cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that the Lindong Mandheling daily drinking bean presents rich nutty and dark chocolate notes, with a hint of caramel aroma in the finish. As the temperature decreases, herbal plant flavors emerge, with a rich mouthfeel and solid aroma.

To extract the rich aroma of FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee believes that freshly roasted coffee beans are the primary requirement. The aroma of coffee beans changes depending on storage environment and time. Once past the optimal tasting period, the coffee's aroma will deteriorate rapidly. FrontStreet Coffee understands how important coffee freshness is, which is why all shipped coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days, ensuring they're ready for brewing upon arrival.

Since Mandheling coffee presents nutty and chocolate flavor profiles, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster chooses medium-dark roast. The darker the roast, the more porous the coffee bean structure becomes, making extraction easier during brewing. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee uses lower water temperatures to avoid over-extraction that would produce negative bitterness.

Brewing Parameters:

Dripper: KONO dripper
Water Temperature: 87°C
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-coarse (70% pass-through rate with China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Steps:

Wet the KONO dripper to ensure better adhesion between the filter paper and coffee dripper. Pour out the water from the server while adding 15g of ground coffee. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then begin pouring with small circular motions in the center until reaching 125g, then pause. When the coffee bed drops to half the dripper's height, begin the second pour using the same technique until reaching 225g. Once all dripping is complete, remove the dripper.

The FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling extracted this way first presents woody and caramel aromas. When hot, it offers a very rich mouthfeel with flavors of dark chocolate, spices, cream, pine, and caramel, with almost no perceptible acidity. As the temperature gradually decreases, the initial bitterness becomes softer, accompanied by a distinct sweet aftertaste, much like drinking aged Pu-erh tea, with a long-lasting finish.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473